Another Shore Home Bought For Open Space

By Chris Lundy

BERKELEY - A solo property that used to have a home was purchased in order to become open space.

The property at 56 Good Luck Drive is the latest among its neighbors to be purchased by the county.

a full neighborhood, it is almost entirely reeds now. The marina and a handful of homes still remain.

By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Hockey

players break a lot of sticks. The repeated impact wears them down over time until they are useless.

Well, not useless per se...

The Central Regional team has been using their broken sticks to build artificial reefs for local waters for years now. The pieces are fastened together to form something that looks like a cross between a crab trap and a chest with the drawers removed. They are then installed in the water for oysters to latch on.

Oysters naturally clean waterways by feeding on impurities. Making the water healthier allows other species to thrive, such as fish and crabs.

Coach Joe Pelliccio said the idea came from another shore area. Bob Wasno coaches hockey at Florida Gulf Coast University. Pelliccio had to call Wasno because he had a student who was interested in attending the school. Wasno got him interested in this project and the rest is history. They’ve partnered with such groups as the New York-New Jersey Baykeepers and Save Barnegat Bay.

“We’re officially the New Jersey chapter for this project,” he said.

Save Barnegat Bay will be installing them on the shores of Waretown. There is also an oyster garden at Long Beach Island.

Several teams in the National Hockey League are jumping on board, as well. It’s growing throughout the nation, but Central Regional beat many of the big teams to it.

“All our kids are water kids,” Pelliccio said. They’re lifeguards. They hit the beach regularly. They care about the environment and it shows.

Are Car Crashes Getting Worse?

By Chris Lundy OCEAN COUNTY

– It seems that news of serious crashes are constantly flooding social media and news apps these days. Multi-car pile-ups, flipped cars, and worse make it to our news feeds – each one a cautionary tale. Serious crashes like this might be on the rise.

For example, in one recent weekend, Toms River Police responded to 36 crashes. It begs the question: are we seeing more crashes – and more severe crashes these days?

A car catching fire after being hit is dramatic and scary, even if no one is hurt in it.

But police don’t have a statistic for serious crashes. However, fatalities are recorded.

So far this year, in Ocean County, there’s been 27 fatal crashes that resulted in 28 deaths. Monmouth County saw 19 crashes resulting in 19 deaths.

Good Luck Point was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy. Some residents were never able to rebuild. Once

This is a repetitive loss area. That means the land floods frequently. The federal government is the only entity providing flood insurance because it’s too expensive when a disaster

Experts: Watch Out For Clinging Jellyfish

Photo courtesy NJDEP

Moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) are a common jellyfish found at the shore.

By Alyssa Riccardi

JERSEY SHORE – Officials are warning New Jersey swimmers about the potential dangers of clinging jellyfish that have been found in the Shore area this summer.

are a small jellyfish capable of inflicting an extremely painful sting. Officials said they are present in bays and estuarine waters

“Fortunately, populations of clinging jellyfish and their distribution have been largely stable since the species

(Crashes - See Page 4) (Jellyfish - See Page 5)

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, clinging jellyfish

Crashes: Continued From

Page 1

These numbers are on pace to match or exceed the last few years.

In 2022, Ocean had 48 crashes resulting in 52 deaths. Monmouth had 46 crashes with 55 deaths.

In 2021, Ocean had 43 crashes with 44 deaths. Monmouth had 32 crashes with 34 deaths.

In 2020, when there were a lot of COVID quarantines, Ocean had 30 crashes with 30 deaths. Monmouth had 33 crashes with 34 deaths.

In 2019, Ocean had 37 crashes with 39 deaths. Monmouth had 33 crashes with 36 deaths.

In 2018, Ocean had 31 crashes with 39 deaths. Monmouth had 28 crashes with 29 deaths.

In 2017, Ocean had 52 crashes with 53 deaths. Monmouth had 40 crashes with 43 deaths.

In 2016, Ocean had 39 crashes with 41 deaths. Monmouth had 47 crashes with

Open Space:

Continued From Page 1 occurs. The government doesn’t want to keep bailing out flooding properties so they incentivize towns to take repetitive loss properties off the market.

Mayor Carmen Amato explained that the government’s flood insurance plan

50 deaths.

Sgt. Philip Curry of the New Jersey State Police said that the NJSP Fatal Accident Unit comes out when injuries seem serious. Looking at this data, certain trends emerge.

“Driver inattention, pedestrian violations and unsafe speed are typically the top three contributing factors in fatal crashes,” he said.

It’s important to note that driver inattention could mean cell phone use, a distraction in the vehicle, or even falling asleep at the wheel, he said. “Driver inattention” is also marked as a contributing circumstance when a vehicle runs off the road with no other explanation as to why.

If a pedestrian violation is noted, it means that the pedestrian’s action caused the crash, such as crossing where prohibited, he said.

“Based on the top 3 Contributing Circumstances year after year, crashes could potentially be reduced if drivers avoided distractions and drove defensively. Pedestrians should cross roadways designated for pedestrian crossing and should always use offers deductions to residents if the town follows certain guidelines. One of them is having flood-prone property become open space.

Currently, Berkeley residents enjoy a 25% deduction on their flood insurance due to actions like this, he said.

The county has partnered with Blue Acres, a program run by the New due caution for their own safety,” he said.

Statewide Deaths Rise

Statewide, the fatalities follow similar trends to Ocean and Monmouth counties. On the years that Ocean and Monmouth were really bad, the rest of the state is really bad, too.

2023 to date: 295 crashes causing 310 deaths

2022: 650 crashes causing 694 deaths.

2021: 667 crashes causing 697 deaths

2020: 550 crashes causing 587 deaths

2019: 524 crashes causing 558 deaths

2018: 524 crashes (same two years in a row) causing 563 deaths

2017: 591 crashes causing 624 deaths

2016: 570 crashes causing 602 deaths

New Jersey looks at these figures much deeper in their annual Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Report. The most recent report available at this time is from 2021.

In 2021, roadway fatalities increased a frightening 18.7% over the previous year in the nation’s totals. There were 697 deaths in 2021 in New Jersey alone, 110 more than 2020. It is the highest number in 13 years.

The 2021 report put some of the blame on COVID-19 regulations fading. Regardless, it was still estimated that it was the worst since 2005.

The report explained that this works out to an average of almost two deaths per day.

Of these deaths, 97 involved motorcycles, 36 involved tractor trailers, 26 involved bicycles, and 217 (almost one-third) were pedestrians.

There was alcohol involved in about 30 percent of the crashes, and in 12 percent of them, a driver was legally drunk.

Perhaps there are some trends that follow a pattern. For example, in 2016 and 2017 – locally and statewide – the numbers of deaths were very high before they dropped. Then, they rose again coming up to today. It could be that the statistics are cyclical and rise and fall regularly.

It’s not just in New Jersey. The nation saw an increase of 10.5% in fatalities from 2020 to 2021. There were 42,915 motor vehicle fatalities across the country in 2021.

Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which looks for land near bodies of water.

The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund and Blue Acres were the ones buying the land and knocking down the house. The trust fund is fueled by an open space tax on every property in the county.

Councilman James Byrnes expressed concern about the property’s bulkheads. These are the property owner’s responsibility. This would now be the county’s job.

Amato suggested working something out with the county to pay for local workers to do it.

The county would also be responsible for maintaining the property.

Jellyfish was first confirmed in New Jersey in 2016,” Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette said. “However, clinging jellyfish pack such a potentially powerful sting that it is important for the public to be vigilant and take precautions when recreating in coastal bays and rivers where they are found.”

Clinging jellyfish are a non-native species that originated from the Pacific Ocean. Officials said they likely came to the area in ballast water from ships or being attached to ships’ hulls, as early as the late 1800s in New England.

Today, they can be found from Maine to New Jersey. Clinging jellyfish prefer shallow, slow-moving estuarine waters, where they attach themselves to algae or marine vegetation such as eel grass.

In New Jersey, environmental officials have found clinging jellyfish in several locations across shore towns. A huge pop - ulation can be found in the Metedeconk River, close to areas along Princeton Avenue in Brick Township as well as on the opposite side of the river alongside residential properties off Mantoloking Road.

According to the NJDEP Jellyfish map, clinging jellyfish have also been found in the Barnegat Bay near Lavallette and Island Beach State Park.

In the Shrewsbury River, clinging jellyfish can be found in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach. Officials have even documented them as far south as North Wildwood and the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge.

What other jellyfish can you run into at the Jersey Shore?

Although it is unlikely for clinging jellyfish to be found in ocean waters or beaches in New Jersey, there are several types species that do inhabit our coast.

The most common jellyfish beachgoers can encounter are moon jellies (Aurelia aurita), which look like a round disk- shaped pad that may be frequently seen washed up on beaches. Even though they are not harmful, they can produce some discomfort if you are stung.

Many other jellyfish you can come across at the shore are not harmful. However, just like clinging jellyfish found on the bayside, there are harmful jellyfish found in oceans.

Over the years, the Portuguese man-owar (Physalia physalis) has been spotted along the Jersey Shore. Although uncommon, they are harmful and sometimes fatal.

In 2018, it was reported a Portuguese man-o-war washed up on the shores in Cape May County. There was also one that washed on in Beach Haven in 2017.

If you plan on going for a swim, know that most jellyfish are found from June to September/October.

“Jellyfish appearance and abundance is dependent on water temperature and prey density; most species prefer warmer water. Storms and offshore wind and water

Pine Beach fire Company Seeking Members

PINE BEACH – The Pine Beach Volunteer Fire Company No.1 is always looking for energetic, motivated people to add to their team. They are accepting applications for several membership categories:

Firefighter: 18 years and older, must reside within the immediate response area (approx. 2 to 3 miles). Firefighter I certification preferred, but training will be provided. EMT/EMR certification a plus. Must be willing to run toward things sane people are running away from. Members will be enrolled in the LOSAP program.

Junior Firefighter: 16 to 17 years old, in-house training provided. Parental permission required.

Associate: Non-firefighting category, assists with social and fund-raising functions.

Fire Police: Non-firefighting function. Control of traffic in emergency areas, scene security when needed.

Corporate Affiliate: Provides professional currents (eddies branching off of the Gulf Stream) can bring uncommon species close to shore,” DEP Research Scientist Joseph Bilinski said. “Subtropical species such as Portuguese man-o-war end up on our shores when warm currents come toward our coast.”

What do you do if you get stung?

Bilinski recommends that the affected area be lightly scraped with a plastic card or rubbed with a towel, then rinsed with sea water and not fresh water.

“(Freshwater) will cause the nematocysts or stinging cells to rupture and cause more discomfort,” Bilinski said. “If pain persists or is severe, the individual should seek immediate medical attention.” service and assistance (accounting, clerical, legal, fundraising, marketing, etc.) If any of these appeals to you, come visit any Thursday evening between 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and speak with one of the officers or membership committee and we’ll get the process started. More heroes wear bunker gear than capes.

To learn more about jellyfish in New Jersey waters, NJDEP has a general NJ Jellyfish Information webpage at storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/28df94661dd 245f792e1b79170100975. To learn more about clinging jellyfish, visit nj.gov/dep/ docs/clinging-jellyfish-factsheet.pdf.